Bullet Through an Apple

This iconic photograph was originally used by Edgerton in a lecture titled “How to Make Applesauce at MIT.” The bullet, moving at 900 meters per second, was captured on film using a single-burst electronic flash technique that he had pioneered early in his career. When triggered by energy stored in a capacitor, the gas molecules inside of the bulb vibrate quickly enough to create a bright flash that can be controlled with incredible accuracy. This revolutionary technology founded the basis for modern flash photography that is still used by artists and scientists alike.